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The Nigerian Police have reportedly fired tear gas at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, dispersing activists and concerned Nigerians who gathered on Tuesday to mark six years since the #EndSARS protests.
The gathering was organised to remember those who died during the 2020 demonstrations and renew calls for justice and police reform. However, the use of tear gas disrupted the planned commemoration and forced people to flee the area.
Among those present were Funso Doherty, the Lagos governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
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Despite the disruption, activists vowed to continue demanding justice and police reforms. They also pledged to keep the memory of those who died during the #EndSARS protests alive. Tension later subsided, and the area was reported to be clear.
The incident has renewed concerns about the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression in Nigeria. The #EndSARS protests began in October 2020, when young Nigerians took to the streets to demand an end to police brutality, particularly abuses linked to the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The demonstrations spread across the country, with the Lekki Toll Gate becoming a major centre of the movement. On October 20, 2020, soldiers opened fire on people at the toll gate. The incident remains controversial, with continuing calls for accountability over reported casualties.
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, which investigated the incident, found that people had been shot, injured and killed. However, the state government later rejected key parts of the panel’s findings, including aspects of its conclusions on casualties. The anniversary has also seen clashes between security operatives and people gathered at the toll gate in subsequent years.
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In October 2021, police fired tear gas during a memorial procession organised by youths and celebrities to honour victims of police brutality. The then Lagos Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said officers were dispersing people he described as “miscreants”, rather than participants in the procession.
In 2024, police again used tear gas to disperse people marking the fourth anniversary of the demonstrations. The people had demanded full implementation of recommendations made by judicial panels established after the 2020 protests. Police said officers acted after the people refused to disperse.
Although the #EndSARS movement led to the disbandment of SARS in October 2020, demands for accountability, compensation for victims and wider police reforms have continued.
